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Phone and text

WhatsApp

Customers can message your number on WhatsApp. Your receptionist answers there, and you can reply from your Inbox within WhatsApp's 24-hour window.

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How it works

Once your Just a Good Guy number is set up for WhatsApp, customers can message that same number on WhatsApp. Your receptionist answers there, with the same rules as texts and chat (see What the AI will and won't do):

  • Replies are short and plain, with line breaks but no bold or headings. Links can only point to your booking pages or your own website.
  • Messages from the same person within 24 hours are one conversation.
  • Everything shows up in your Inbox, marked WhatsApp.
  • Like caller ID on a text, their WhatsApp number counts as proof of who they are. If it matches a customer on file, the receptionist can see and change their bookings without sending a code.

Your number needs a one-time WhatsApp setup in Twilio first. Whoever runs Just a Good Guy does this for you: see setting up WhatsApp.

The 24-hour rule

WhatsApp only lets a business send normal messages within 24 hours of the customer's last message. After that, only messages WhatsApp has approved in advance (templates) can be sent.

  • Your replies: while the 24 hours are open, a reply from the Inbox goes out on WhatsApp, and the reply box shows until when. After that, the reply box explains why and offers to send it as a text or an email instead.
  • Confirmations and reminders: inside the 24 hours they go out on WhatsApp. After that they use an approved WhatsApp template if one is set up, and otherwise go out as a normal text.

Which way customers hear from you

Confirmations, reminders and other messages follow one simple rule:

  1. The way the customer last talked to you, if it can reach them: WhatsApp, a text, or email.
  2. Otherwise a text, if they have a mobile number and haven't opted out.
  3. Otherwise email.

A message goes out as WhatsApp or as a text, never both. Booking confirmation emails, which carry the calendar file, still go to anyone with an email address. See also email.

STOP and START

The same words work as for texts (STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL and so on, on their own). On WhatsApp we reply once to confirm. After that, nothing more goes to that number, by WhatsApp or by text, until they send START. See STOP and START.

Monthly limits

WhatsApp messages count as texts toward your monthly limit. See Monthly limits.